Rally for Reid strives to support families treated at Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Reid was treated at Stead, and we are so grateful for the excellent care provided at the time.
Rally for Reid has supported the following initiatives at Stead Family to allow for the best care for patients and families:
Reid’s Story Corner – located at Stead Family Children’s Hospital in the Janice & Bruce Ellig Children’s Library.
Our sweet Reid spent so much time in this library, especially following his relapse. We’d grab a chocolate milk coffee and we’d spend his mornings doing puzzles and reading the same books over and over again. A great way to keep him busy when he was missing so much school, and a welcome distraction from his IV pole full of chemo that ran for 4-5 hours each day we’d spend at the outpatient clinic.
A letter of gratitude, a follow-up meeting, as well as a lot of planning and details went into creating this space in Reid’s name. We are grateful to the design team at Stead Family for perfecting this space, to Edwards Creative for the install, as well as to Janice Ellig, for her support of Reid, her support of the hospital, and for her contribution to the library to make this space happen and provide updates to technology so that all kids could enjoy the library services during their time at the hospital. Not only is this design a beautiful update, it has also created access during a very difficult time! Children can now easily participate in storytime from their rooms when they are in isolation, and authors and readers can zoom in from around the world to read stories to children when they can’t come to the hospital library in person.
The team let us be involved in the design process, and for that we are so thankful. Reid’s initials and garbage truck logo are thoughtfully carved into the tree, garbage truck books fill the shelves, and even sweet Mary, who slept in Reid’s bed when he was at the hospital, and was always at Reid’s feet at the end of his life, got to be included with a special yellow collar. If you’ve been to Stead, you will notice that many of the other design aspects mimic the aesthetics of the hospital. The quote, “Reading gives you a place to go when you have to stay where you are,” is one that describes Reid’s life so well. He was always packing his favorite books for his stays, and always found fun no matter where he was. We are just overwhelmed by how perfect this spot is! That light up REID sign can stay lit at night, and even the animals can be switched in and out of the treehouse depending upon the library theme.
Our hope for the space is that kids can find some excitement and normalcy in visiting the library in the midst of their scary day(s) at the hospital.
It’s hard to express the gratitude we feel to this hospital and the people in it. We miss them. It was Reid’s second home. It was all of our second home. Reid brought smiles to so many people with his cute little bald head as he explored every inch of that hospital. We are so grateful to have this space in his honor, and for other children to come and experience its magic.